Day 224 - The Story of the Rock

Day 224 - The Story of the Rock

A Parable of Cosmic Consciousness

Vasistha continued: "O Rama, let me share another instructive parable with you.

The Rock of Consciousness

A Tender, Eternal Rock

"There is a great rock, full of tenderness and affection, always clear and obvious, soft, omnipresent, and eternal. Within it, countless lotuses bloom. Their petals sometimes touch each other, sometimes not, sometimes are exposed, and sometimes hidden. Some face downwards, some upwards, and some have intertwined roots. Some have no roots at all. Everything exists within this rock, though they appear not to.

Cosmic Consciousness as the Rock

"O Rama, this rock is the cosmic consciousness, homogeneous like a rock. Within it, all diverse creatures of the universe seem to appear. Just as one imagines different forms within a rock, the universe is also ignorantly imagined to exist in this consciousness. Even if a sculptor carves different forms from the rock, it remains rock. Similarly, this cosmic consciousness remains consciousness, whether the world appears or not. The world-appearance is but an empty expression; its substance is nothing but consciousness.

Brahman and the Illusion of Diversity

Manifestations and Modifications

"In truth, these manifestations and modifications are Brahman, the cosmic consciousness—not in the sense of actual modifications. Any distinction or modification in Brahman is meaningless. When such expressions are used in relation to Brahman, their meaning is different, like water in a mirage. Just as the seed does not contain anything other than itself, even the flowers and fruits are of the same nature as the seed. The homogeneous mass of cosmic consciousness does not give rise to anything other than what it essentially is. When this truth is realized, duality ceases. Consciousness never becomes unconsciousness. If there is any modification, that too is consciousness. Hence, whatever exists, wherever and in whatever form, is Brahman. All these exist forever in their potential state in the mass of homogeneous consciousness.